Windows tablet/2in1 experiences?

[chroma]

I use Ableton and its really not geared for such high resolution and touch input. The buttons/controls are very small. Even trying to tap a scene for playing. I pretty much stick to using the keyboard/touchpad. But for Live, that's where Lemur will come in. I hope to control playing scenes/clips as well as making adjustments to sounds all with nice, big buttons and faders.

agree... tried this on an older windows convertible (hp 2760p) before i moved to mac which was great otherwise, but using ableton as a touchscreen wasn't that much fun, especially on that small 12" screen.

one thing I got but moved before I really got into it is yeco, maybe worth looking at as an alternative to lemur. i use touchable on an ipad now, but the yeco looks like it might get you close on a single screen.

[OreoSplitter]

I am using an acer switch 12. I am using Studio One 3 on it just fine. The biggest issue is some old vst's might not scale well. You might have read people have issues with very high resolution screens making some vst's tiny. It seems that carries over to the switch and surface as well. The chances are pretty low and so far I have only experienced it on 2 old vst's. Sonivox film score companion bundle some items appeared normal and others small. Liquid notes is the other one. From that I read it's a java limitation. The only other issue I have had is uvi orchestral suite I can't right click with the stylus un the vst. Zebra 2 I can just fine. Uvi, right click maps cc to sliders so it was a deal breaker. Getting that refunded.
Thats the other thing.

Try to demo everything before buying to know for sure it displays properly. If a site has no demo version I simply ignore the no refund policy. If need be dispute through credit card. If these companies are still selling their products for money they meed to at the very least display correctly. It's not a tablet issue. From what I can tell it's a resolution issue that affects many systems. It's defective software as far I am concerned. Have only had to threaten dispute to one company. Just be ready if need be to protect you're money on out dated coding.

To make the majority of vst's a non issue disable high dpi scaling in studio one if it is on and leave windows at it's 150% default scaling. FL studio also has a scaling setting. Also windows creator update added new scaling options when you right click, properties. Not sure if this can apply to vst's or strictly for programs. I don't have creators update installed due to crapware. Sticking with enterprise N.

For a touch screen midi device get XotoPad. Forget the other garbage. Also google toolbar creator by lblb to completely ditch the keyboard. Studio one has a macro toolbar that has been so useful along side toolbar creator.

All in all very happy.

[iPlogger]

For music the ipad is way better than the surface, not for power or available software, but because you can use it, most desktop music software on touchscreen is horrid, impossible to use menus, some dials wont even turn, mouse hitpoint impossibly small.

I use the trackpad, not a problem. You aren't stuck with only touch on the Surface. I originally used Stagelight DAW which is made for touch. I used that for over a year until I started running into limitations and switched to Ableton last November. I used the iPad in music for 5 years and it was too limiting for my needs. I really enjoyed it, but I had to work within its limits and eventually there were too many things I was prevented from doing. I've been using the Surface now for 1.5 years and it's been terrific for me. For me, I was more frustrated not being able to accomplish certain things on the iPad than I have been with the GUI on Windows.

one thing I got but moved before I really got into it is yeco

I looked at Yeco when it first came out. Looks really nice and something I've thought about getting at some point. One thing I really like about Lemur is I can use it on an old iPad Mini which sits perfectly on the left-side of my synth. The Surface is too big and may topple off. Even my iPad 4 is a tad too big. It would be nice to have some small extension from my synth to hold these larger tablets.

It's not a tablet issue. From what I can tell it's a resolution issue that affects many systems

That's my feeling, too. It's the high resolution monitors/screens that we have now. The result is, it makes touch more difficult to use. The same can be said for Rebirth on the iPad where the knobs especially are fairly small. It wasn't made for the iPad screen, but I still had fun with it. The other limitation of Windows apps is the lack of multi-touch which I can understand how that is important for some people.

To me, it's about finding the system/apps that best meet the needs of the user.

[VariKusBrainZ]

I use Ableton and its really not geared for such high resolution and touch input. The buttons/controls are very small. Even trying to tap a scene for playing.

I'm probably stating the obvious but you can change the interface resolution to suit any screen

[p_wats]

I've been using a Surface Pro for a few years now. The first version wasn't the greatest experience, but I've got the Pro 3 these days and it's been great. I run Reaper with a USB hub for other peripherals (Octa-Capture, Beatstep Pro, etc.) and it's been pretty stable until I get a project that is reallllllly heavy (like 30+ tracks with a lot of effects and midi instruments).

I love the portability, but don't really use the touch screen aspect so much. Mostly I wanted a device with enough power to do recording as well as great pen support for digital illustration.

[bungle]

So people are buying Surfaces just for portability ?
Seems everybody who is saying Surface instead of Ipad is saying they dont use the screen much.
Sort of negates the entire idea for me, the touch screen is the portable device, its a form of expression and playing.

You really should just get a powerful NUC with a small screen, you would have had way way more resources on tap.

I also find it funny when people say the ipad was limiting i had to move on, but never state what the limitation was ?
Dont get me wrong the file system on ipad breaks my balls for one, but once you get used to audioshare it is as fast if not faster than anything else, you just cant ever look at the ipad as a complete studio replacement, its just another tool in the toolbox.

[Cinebient]

So people are buying Surfaces just for portability ?
Seems everybody who is saying Surface instead of Ipad is saying they dont use the screen much.
Sort of negates the entire idea for me, the touch screen is the portable device, its a form of expression and playing.

You really should just get a powerful NUC with a small screen, you would have had way way more resources on tap.

I also find it funny when people say the ipad was limiting i had to move on, but never state what the limitation was ?
Dont get me wrong the file system on ipad breaks my balls for one, but once you get used to audioshare it is as fast if not faster than anything else, you just cant ever look at the ipad as a complete studio replacement, its just another tool in the toolbox.

A smartphone is even much more mobile (and it has polyphonic aftertouch as well via 3D touch) so why using an iPad at all
I know what you mean but i f.e. never had the feeling that my iPad(s) are more mobile than my Macbook pro since i can´t put an iPad Pro 12.9" into my pocket. But a good notebook is still much more powerful as an iPad pro and it doesn´t need an audio interface to sound good enough and drive my better headphones and i even can use the keyboard as midi controller with tactile feedback on the go and still having a kind of (good) multi-touch with the great trackpad too. Fine editing is a no-go on touch screens. Maybe with the pencil it would work?
But all these are personal preferences and i use both since years and that´s just how i feel.
But i also must say that i find all these 12-13" hybrids way to small. The 4:3 iPad 12.9" with multi-touch optimized apps are much better for multi-touch input.
Often i see videos about "mobile" music and then i see people connect an audio interface, midi master keyboard, usb hub, adapters and whatever together.
So it depends of what mobile is for a person. For me it´s when i can take it from one room to the next.
But if there will be some proper 15"+ 2in1 with at least a powerful quadcore i7 and 32 GB ram and the fans don´t run like crazy all the time, i would buy that.
IPads are too expensive compared to more powerful notebooks/hybrids and it´s getting worse.
But i agree that they are a wonderful tool in the toolbox.
And of course i would die for an Apple multi.touch macOS/iOS hybrid (which will never exist of course).
I also ask me if we ever will get pro tools like Kontakt, Logic or some of the really big synths like Falcon, Zebra, Dune 2 etc. for iOS.
While you can do a lot with iOS i often feel limited here in terms of tools i like to use.

[iPlogger]

I bought the Surface for more than just music. That is only one aspect. I like the touch screen for reading PDFs and books. I like lying in bed watching Netflix. Play games (some work well with touch). It is also a family computer and the kids do their homework on it (one kid likes touch, the other likes using the mouse). And I do use the touch screen for music. Depending on the app/VST, it's just not the ideal way of always using the device. I never really used the iPad as a form of expression for playing. I had fun with things like Orphion, but for me, I just need a device to playback sounds. I use keyboards for playing.

I actually didn't think this thread was the place to discuss what limitations I had with the iPad. I have written about it so much, PM'ing, emailing, I can send you some information through PM if you want to know specifics. Just some quick notes, lack of MIDI Channels in many apps (many were even OMNI), lack of multiple app instances meant no layering within the same app (I realize AU can remove this limitation, but it wasn't around at the time), background audio would crackle, MIDI sync was hit and miss. Due to some of these, it meant I had to manually switch apps to the foreground in order to play them, then switch to another app and manually select the sound. My main use is for live playing, and I need things simple. For home use, it was great and I practiced with it quite a bit. Wrote/Recorded music with it. Used Alchemy almost every day. But for live, I wasn't able to use it in the way I am familiar in regards to my hardware.

> you just cant ever look at the ipad as a complete studio replacement, its just another tool in the toolbox

I agree that it's another tool in the toolbox. If it meets a need and works, then go for it.

Right now, for me, the Surface is just as easy to connect to my keyboards (as the iPad) and offers me much more flexibility for how I use it. Also, quick setup is huge for me. The NUC idea could work and is an interesting idea, but connecting monitor, keyboard and mouse is just more steps I need to do. I know that may sound minor, but I'm now at a point where I want super simple setup. I am constantly tearing down and setting up. With the surface, I attach the USB cable and I'm all ready. At this point, though, who knows what I will upgrade to when the time comes? I may stick with a 2in1 or move to something else. For the time being, I couldn't be more pleased with how things are working out.

[iPlogger]

I'm probably stating the obvious but you can change the interface resolution to suit any screen

Actually, can you explain that some more? Do you mean the screen settings and DPI settings within the Windows OS? Or are there options directly within Ableton you are referring to? I mainly need my VSTs to be larger. I've thought about using the magnifying glass option.

[bungle]

So people are buying Surfaces just for portability ?
Seems everybody who is saying Surface instead of Ipad is saying they dont use the screen much.
Sort of negates the entire idea for me, the touch screen is the portable device, its a form of expression and playing.

You really should just get a powerful NUC with a small screen, you would have had way way more resources on tap.

I also find it funny when people say the ipad was limiting i had to move on, but never state what the limitation was ?
Dont get me wrong the file system on ipad breaks my balls for one, but once you get used to audioshare it is as fast if not faster than anything else, you just cant ever look at the ipad as a complete studio replacement, its just another tool in the toolbox.

A smartphone is even much more mobile (and it has polyphonic aftertouch as well via 3D touch) so why using an iPad at all
I know what you mean but i f.e. never had the feeling that my iPad(s) are more mobile than my Macbook pro since i can´t put an iPad Pro 12.9" into my pocket. But a good notebook is still much more powerful as an iPad pro and it doesn´t need an audio interface to sound good enough and drive my better headphones and i even can use the keyboard as midi controller with tactile feedback on the go and still having a kind of (good) multi-touch with the great trackpad too. Fine editing is a no-go on touch screens. Maybe with the pencil it would work?
But all these are personal preferences and i use both since years and that´s just how i feel.
But i also must say that i find all these 12-13" hybrids way to small. The 4:3 iPad 12.9" with multi-touch optimized apps are much better for multi-touch input.
Often i see videos about "mobile" music and then i see people connect an audio interface, midi master keyboard, usb hub, adapters and whatever together.
So it depends of what mobile is for a person. For me it´s when i can take it from one room to the next.
But if there will be some proper 15"+ 2in1 with at least a powerful quadcore i7 and 32 GB ram and the fans don´t run like crazy all the time, i would buy that.
IPads are too expensive compared to more powerful notebooks/hybrids and it´s getting worse.
But i agree that they are a wonderful tool in the toolbox.
And of course i would die for an Apple multi.touch macOS/iOS hybrid (which will never exist of course).
I also ask me if we ever will get pro tools like Kontakt, Logic or some of the really big synths like Falcon, Zebra, Dune 2 etc. for iOS.
While you can do a lot with iOS i often feel limited here in terms of tools i like to use.

Why are you qouting me ?
I never said i wanted the portability or i would have used a phone, I wanted a lot of the software that simply isn't available on desktop ?

[bungle]

@iplogger
What surface do you have by the way ?
I'm starting to think about an upgrade on my Toshiba i5 Tablet which is way too heavy/Hot/slow

[iPlogger]

What surface do you have by the way ?

I am using a Surface Pro 3, i5 with 256 GB.